Chapter Two

Thessara's POV

The great hall was cold to my knees as I knelt onto the stone floor, my red darling dress from a few hours ago torn to shreds. My knees were stinging badly, but I ignored the pain under the heavy weight that pushed my chest down. My mate was gone and I can only continuously hear the echo of his dying breath in my head, and the snap of our bond through my ribs.

"Thessara, daughter of traitor Lorcan," one of the elders announced, his voice rumbling into the high walls. "In front of this council and in front of the pack, we remove you from the title of Luna of Bloodclaw."

I humped forward, swallowing a cry. "No… no, please. I never…."

"Silence!" another elder shouted, banging his staff on the stone. "You are accused of murdering your mate, our Alpha. The bond you had does not justify your crime. Instead, it speaks to your greed for power."

Gasps and hissing filled the gathered wolves, as they all started murmuring to themselves.

I shook my head wildly, tears running down my dirty cheeks. "I loved him! Moon above, I loved Asher more than my life. I would never have hurt him." I said my voice breaking  "I felt his death too inside me and it kills me!"

All the elders immediately burst into laughter at my word. All refusing to acknowledge my word. I had never truly been one of them, and now that he's dead, now that he's no longer here to protect me.

I was their target and enemy, a stain to finally erase from the memory they held sacred.

“You brought rogues to him. Your father’s men,” one of them said, his lips turning with anger. “Do not deny it. Their scent was found. Their claws were the ones that ended his life. Who else could have guided them, if not you Thessara, daughter of traitor Lorcan?”

A roar of agreement rose from the crowd but I wailed harder, shaking my head.

"No..no…I didn't! I swear on my soul, I didn't! My… father's sins are not my own…!"

"She lies!" an older she-wolf council member spat out of the crowd. "And she must be condemned to death" she said and the crowd all started to murmur again agreeing with her.

Fear rose inside my heart as I turned

desperately, I can't die now, no…no my child… I thought bitterly, my eyes searching the whole hall until it pleadingly landed on Asher's mother.

“Please," I panted. "You know me.” I said to her hoping my dearest mother in law would save me and tell them that I would never hurt Asher.

“You know I loved him. Tell them, tell them I could never…" I said to her but with her face cold she turned her head away from me, her voice becoming icy.

"I warned my son," she said, turning to the council. "I told him no traitor's blood would ever reign. And now he's dead on the ground and she's alive. Look what his mercy has cost us all."

A fresh shriek tore from my throat, my hands pressing at my belly.

"No!" I cried out, my words going over the walls. " No …Trust me, you must! I didn't kill him! I would have died before I would have let him get hurt!" I pleased out but nobody moved at my word, not even the pack whom I had worked for as their Luna.

I only saw nothing but their cold eyes and angry faces, with their words echoing over and over again. Traitor. Murderer. Cursed.

I pushed myself up from the floor, my chest heaving, as I gazed at the group of elders, tears falling down my cheeks and my voice breaking with every word. "If you can't feel sorry for me, then at least feel sorry for my child. Asher's child  The Bloodclaw heir developing inside my womb.”

Gasps again started going through the hall at my word, as some started murmuring in suprise, but however, one of the elders narrowed his eyes at me and sneered.

“Falsehoods. All falsehoods. Who can say who fathered the whelp in your belly? It is not the Alpha’s.”

His words struck me, my stomach twitching at his lie. “No!” I screamed, my voice hoarse. “It’s a lie, summon those who know the truth! summon the healer, summon my handmaids! they were there, they saw when the healer confirmed it....”

“Lies upon lies,” the she-wolf elder let out again. “The traitor lies and I will reveal it to you all. Bring her in!” She announced, her words ranging in my ears.

Bring who in? I thought as the great hall’s door creaked open, with footsteps following in. I turned to see who they were bringing in but was struck as I saw the face of my packmate Eira.

“Eira!” I cried, my knees giving way beneath me. I hadn't seen her since Asher's death. In fact I wasn't allowed to see anyone. With tears blurring my sight I tried reaching toward her but were drawn back by the knights.

“Thank the Goddess, you came Eira.” I cried, my voice breaking. “You believe me, right? I would never lie about this you know me. You were there, you saw it with your own eyes. Please… tell them the truth. Tell them the child I carry is Asher’s. Tell them what the healer said.”

I stumbled forward on my knees, my hands stretching toward her but the knights yet again drew me backwards.

Her dark eyes met mine, before she turned them to the council members.

“It is true,” she said, pausing enough that my chest filled with hope. “Thessara is pregnant.”

A sob of relief broke from me, my palms pressing flat to the floor. “Thank you,” I whispered, shaking. “Thank you, Goddess…”

“But…” Eira’s voice came again, her words dropping into the murmurs of the crowd.

“The child she carries is not the Alpha’s. She has been lying. She has been with another, she has been bedding her father’s men, the same rogues who killed our Alpha."

The hall exploded with gasps and growls, followed by their fury voice, making my ears ring, and my heart stopping.

I froze on the floor, staring at her, my lips parting soundlessly. “No…” My voice broke. “No, Eira, not you. Please… please don’t do this to me.”

But she only shook her head with a pitiful sigh facing the elders again. “Poor Asher,” she said, her face full of sorrow. “He never truly knew the woman he called his mate.”

My soul shattered at her word. How could she do this to me? She was my best friend and the only one I trusted above all with every piece of my soul, even while I doubted myself her encouragement had been what kept me going. Had it all been a lie?

I turned back to the elders, my body shaking. “It’s not true! I swear on the Moon, I have never bedded any man but Asher. I would never....never....betray him like that.” My voice cracked. “Eira is lying!” I said but the elders only exchanged grim looks, their gazes moving away from me.

“Bring the healer,” one of the elders commanded.

The pack healer was soon dragged forward. My heart pounded as I lifted my chin, desperately to him.

His eyes met mine for only a second, before they dropped to the floor.

“You remember,” I begged, my voice breaking. “You were there. You saw it when you checked me. Tell them, tell them the baby is Asher’s.”

The healer swallowed hard. His eyes moving toward the elders, then back down. I could smell fear rolling off him hurting my heart as I prayed he’d find the courage to say the truth.

“The… the child…” He stopped, his eyes full of regret as they met mine but under the weight of the elders’ stare, he forced his words out.

“The child is not the Alpha’s.”

The ground seemed to fall away beneath me.

“No!” I screamed, thrashing against the guards. “You’re lying! Look at me and say it again, look at me!”

But he kept his head bowed, and remained silent until he was escorted out

"Bring in the maids." The elder commanded ignoring my protest.

Akira and Lysa were dragged forward, their heads lowered. My chest tightened as I reached out to them, my voice breaking. “Please… you both were there,” I begged, sobbing so hard my words shook. “You were the first to congratulate me. Say it again, please...say it now. Tell them I never laid with anyone but Asher. Tell them the truth!”

But the two of them remained frozen, their eyes quickly moving to the elders before lowering to the ground.

“The Luna… spoke falsely. The child is not the Alpha’s.” Both their voices came.

The world tumbled around me. As it felt as if my lungs would join them. I stumbled forward, trying to reach for them, my voice raw with rage.

“Lies!” I screamed. “You’re all liars! Every last one of you!” My hands shook violently as I pounded my chest. “I loved him! I gave him everything! And this child....this child is his!” I said crying.

One of the elders stood up and pointed his staff at me. "You are hereby sentenced to death, Thessara, daughter of traitor Lorcan. You're guilty of betraying your mate, and killing the Alpha."

“No please!” I scream, my voice tearing through the uproar, as i fell forward raising my hands to plead with them. “Please… please, I’m carrying his heir. This child is innocent! You can’t….”

“Silence!” another elder thundered, “The council has spoken. Your child is cursed, as you are cursed. You shall not stain this pack any longer.”

“Please! Hear me! I beg you, I beg you in the name of the Moon!”

But the Alpha’s mother rose slowly announcing her final degree.

“End her. Let her blood pay for my son’s, and let her child rot as the shame of her womb.”

The hall erupted into howls again in approval. I pressed my forehead to the floor, my tears soaking into the stone as the guards stepped forward, their shadows falling over me.

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